


The Adventures of Ben & Emmy Hiddleston

by littlemisscurious



Series: Tom, Emmy, Ben, Ellie, Paula, Max and Sophie [32]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, School, Twins, daddy!Tom, jasper - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-01-18 04:52:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1415731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisscurious/pseuds/littlemisscurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom's gorgeous twins love adventures and exploring the big, wide world, while they father can simply marvel at his children's thoughtfulness and imagination. Their adventures will also extend into the fascinating process that is growing up. / 'chapters' won't be posted in chronological order but if the age of the twins alters from the one they're at now (6 years), it will be indicated. / not a multi chapter in the traditional sense but rather a collection of one shots and drabbles</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. King of the Savanna

_Silence hung heavy over the open plane and the sun shone brightly from the clear, blue sky. The small bush beside him offered just minimal protection against the blistering heat of the desert and he adjusted his cap once more to shield his eyes from the bright light. Quiet rustling beside him announced the arrival of his companion and he turned his head. Her curly hair stuck to her forehead and with a barely audible sigh, she wiped the sweat off her brows._

_“Any progress?”_

_Deflated he shook his head. “No, he hasn’t moved. But still, he’s on his own and with the absence of the rest of the pride we might stand a chance. It’s small but with a bit of luck we could overwhelm him and get our treasure back,” he suggested, glancing at his companion before taking another look through his binoculars._

_The lion lay languidly in the hot summer sun, his fluffy, big mane like a crown around his big head. All of a sudden he yawned widely, exposing his razor sharp teeth, which were glistening in the sunlight like daggers made out of ivory._

_They both shuddered, once more aware of the danger awaiting them._

_“We could try and distract him,” she mumbled, though her voice betrayed the lack of hope._

_“And how would we do that?”_

_Quickly, he glanced at the proud lion lying in the sunlight, hoping it would not hear their whispered exchange._

_“With this,” she replied, holding up a bag of raw meat still covered by a thin sheen of blood._

_He hesitated. It was dangerous, they both knew that, but maybe it was their only chance._

_“Okay. Throw it as far away in the other direction as possible. That might give us some more time,” he whispered, still crouching next to the small bush, ready to leap up and run._

_Her body was tense, her eyes fixed on the mighty king of the savanna, as she quietly grabbed a piece of the meat aiming to throw it in order to distract him._

 

“Emmy! Ben! Come inside please, dinner is ready!,” Tom called with a smile from the open patio door and with ease and grace Jasper jumped up from his spot in the sunshine, grabbed his toy mouse, and ran towards the house, hoping that it was his dinnertime as well.

“Oh Daddy, you spoilt it!,” Ben complained, taking off his beige cap and throwing it on the ground before he crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted. His sister followed suit, still clutching the bag with Jasper’s cat treats as they both looked sadly at the kitten running away into the shade.

They had been so very close.


	2. Mummy

“Psst, be quiet, Ben,” Emmy whispered, dragging her duvet up the flight of stairs until she reached Paula’s old bedroom. Ben was groaning behind her because his own duvet got stuck in the banister and he was torn between leaving it behind or dropping the pillow from his other hand. 

He didn’t have to make a decision, though, as his sister soon came to his rescue and quietly they tiptoed to the top floor of the house. With pounding hearts, they stepped into the room, their big, grey eyes resting on the sleeping, purring kitten that was lying on the otherwise empty bed. 

“We mustn’t scare him,” Ben reminded his sister and as carefully as possible they placed their bedding next to Jasper, who stretched his tiny limbs and yawned heartily, though not waking from his deep and restful slumber. 

The moonlight shone brightly through a crack in the curtains, lighting up the ginger fur of the newest addition to the Hiddleston family and the children watched him sleep in awe.

 

“Do you think he misses his Mummy?,” the little boy whispered after a while without taking his eyes of the kitten.

“I don’t know. Do you miss Mummy?,” Emmy replied just as quietly and looked over to her twin brother.

“Sometimes I do. But we’ve got Paula now and we’ve got Daddy and I’ve got you. I’m never lonely and I think that’s what Mummy would have wanted. Do you miss her?”

For a moment Emmy contemplated his words ere she answered, “Sometimes. But we’ve got Paula now and we’ve got Daddy and I’ve got you. I’m never lonely and I think that’s what Mummy would have wanted.” 

They both grinned widely before carefully snuggling up closer to each other without waking the sleeping kitten between them, their small hands and hearts intertwined.

***

“Tom, wake up. Quickly, come on.” A smile on her lovely face, Paula shook him to wake him up and sleepily he opened his eyes. 

“What is it?,” Tom mumbled, far away from being fully awake.

“Come on and see for yourself. I swear it’s worth getting up for,” his girlfriend grinned and walked towards the door. “But be quiet,” she warned him ere she vanished into the hallway.

With a sigh, Tom got up and, adjusting his pyjama bottoms, he followed her quietly out of the room and up the stairs.

 

“Look at that,” Paula whispered, snuggling up to him as she pointed at Emmy and Ben, their hands still intertwined and Jasper still sleeping peacefully in their midst.

With a proud and loving smile on his lips, Tom watched his twins as he held his girlfriend close. “They must have snuck up here last night,” he mumbled and Paula nodded, her head leaning against his naked chest.

It was Ben who woke up first and he grinned sheepishly at his father and Paula before gently waking up his sister.

“Oh...morning Daddy, morning Paula,” she mumbled with a shy smile, worried that they might get told off for sneaking out of bed in the night.

“Good morning,” Tom smiled in return. “Why have we not been invited to the slumber party?,” he added with a wink and they could literally see Ben and Emmy sigh in relief.

“Well...we thought that Jasper might miss his Mummy and his brothers and sisters and we thought we could keep him company so he doesn’t feel alone. But there was no room for you and Paula in the bed anymore,” Ben explained, casting one last reassuring glance at his sister and partner in ‘crime’. 

“That is very thoughtful of you. I bet he felt not lonely at all tonight with you by his side. And your Daddy and I, we would have only been in the way with our long limbs. What about you making him breakfast now, hm?,” Paula smiled and the children leapt out of bed, their pyjamas askew and their curly hair sticking up. 

“But first…,” Tom started and they stopped half-way to the door, looking up at their father with slightly worried eyes.

“First, I want a good morning hug and kiss from my two beautiful children,” he continued with a wink and crouched down with open arms. 

Emiliana laughed happily and fell into her father’s arms with Benjamin following suit. Paula, meanwhile, used the distraction and cuddled the little ginger kitten that Tom had so successfully chased away the morning prior. 

At least that way everybody was happy now.


	3. Rainbow Bridge

“Emmy, darling, are you sure you want to wear that white dress for playing with the paint? Maybe something else, something a little more worn-out might be more sensible, hm?” Her gorgeous face adorned by a loving smile, Paula let her hand glide through the little girls curls.

Chewing her lip, Emmy looked up before once more gazing at her white, flowing dress, the one she had worn at Christmas and which was very dear to her. “Can you help me choose something else?,” she asked quietly, placing her small hand gently into the older woman’s.

“Of course. Come on, let’s find something pretty for you.” Together they climbed up the stairs and for a moment Tom’s gaze followed them until they were out of sight and his whole attention was once more focused on the small, curly-haired and bright-eyed boy by his side. 

 

“Shall we get the ingredients out, Ben? And the pots and bottles we’ll need?,” Tom suggested and Benjamin nodded eagerly, his smile wide and his grey eyes gleaming with excitement. One by one they got out the small plastic, squeeze bottles Paula had bought before placing two big bowls, a huge pitcher of water, cornstarch, and some watercolours on the wooden table on their patio.

 

The sun shone bright and hot from the clear, blue sky and Jasper, tired after a morning of games and fun with the twins, enjoyed a lazy nap under the trampoline. 

“Daddy, will you draw something with us later?,” Ben mumbled, holding onto Tom’s waist while he stood on his father’s feet with his own naked ones. Lovingly, the actor held onto his son, watching him with a tender smile. 

“Sure! I wouldn’t want to miss the fun now, would I?,” he winked and Benjamin giggled as he shook his head.

“No, you wouldn’t!”

***

Their chalk mixed and ready to go in the colourful array of plastic bottles, the four of them stepped out onto their driveway soon after. Their naked feet padded over the warm, reddish stones until Ben and Emmy both found a spot they liked and they sat down to test their chalk. 

Focused and their tongues sticking out a little, both children created colourful patterns and images on the rough surface and while Tom took photo after photo to keep this moment for a later, rainy day, Paula grabbed a bottle herself and knelt down onto the ground.

 

Her blonde hair, bleached even further by the bright summer sun, was tied up in a messy bun and her nails shimmered in an array of colours after Emmy had been eager to help her choose the right nail varnish earlier that day. He smiled as he watched her for a moment, her hands tightly gripping the plastic bottle while she drew a big, round sun. A few splashes of red followed for the mouth and two additional splashes of blue for the eyes before she sat back and admired her work.

“Aww, look Emmy, Paula has made a sun!,” Ben shouted with a smile, crawling over the the blonde women to have a closer look at the smiling, yellow face on the ground. Emmy followed suit and together they discussed what else could be added to the bigger picture.

“Come on Tom, grab a bottle! We want to make a rainbow,” Paula grinned, holding two bottles herself, while Ben and Emmy chose their own colour, leaving only the green one for their father. 

Tom laughed, quietly but earnestly, and picked up the remaining green chalk. “Alright, what am I supposed to do?”

 

Together, the twins explained the procedure, interrupting each other and finishing each other’s sentences, leaving their father with a confused smile and Paula in fits of laughter.

“Um, oooookay...I’ll just copy what you do,” he winked after a while and both children nodded, obviously satisfied with that reply.

“Okay...ready...steady...go!,” Paula shouted and all four of them started covering the ground in their respective colour. Splash after splash landed on the others’ feet, on their clothes and, eventually, their hair, until not only the driveway but also both children and adults looked like the biggest rainbow they’d ever seen. 

“I’d call that a success,” the blonde woman grinned, dropping to the warm ground with a satisfied sigh. Quick as a flash the twins climbed onto her lap, rubbing their paint-smeared hands on Paula’s clothes while they laughed their head’s off, neither of them caring much about the colour in their hair, on their face, and in between their naked toes. 

A few feet away, Tom was picking up his camera once again, taking photo after photo, eager to preserve this precious, happy moment for all eternity while his heart nearly burst with all the love he felt for the three most important people in his life.


	4. ABC

“Hey buddy, you okay?,” Tom asked with a smile as he walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, the script he had been reading still in his hand. Surprised he looked to his son after having received no answer and the little boy still sat quietly on his chair, a bright blue pencil in his hand and his floppy curls hiding his eyes. 

Quickly, Benjamin wiped his hand over his cheek, eyes still fixed on the piece of paper in front of him. He could feel his father’s eyes on him and slowly, against his will, his small shoulders started shaking while more tears left his bright, grey eyes.

“Hey Benjamin,...what’s wrong?” With a few, quick strides, Tom crossed the kitchen and, placing the script aside, he knelt down by his son’s chair, gently wiping a few strands of hair out of his face. 

Ben bit his lip ere he took a deep breath and looked at him with watery eyes. “I...I need to be able to write the alphabet by the end of the holidays and...and I can’t do it. It’s so difficult, Daddy, I can’t do it,” he sobbed and, dropping his pencil, he fell into his father’s arms, burying his face in the crook of Tom’s neck.

 

Slowly, Tom got up with the little boy cradled in his arms. Ben’s hands clung to his shirt and his legs were wrapped tightly around his father’s waist. For a moment, he simply allowed him to cry, to let out the anger he had been building up inside himself; anger at himself because he felt that he failed. 

“Ben, sweetheart...writing is very hard, I know that. You don’t learn that in one day and you still have time until the end of the holidays. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, darling,” he murmured into the little boy’s hair, feeling him nod faintly in response.

“Come on, let’s make learning the alphabet a little more fun,” he added with a loving smile and, wiping the remaining tears off his cheeks, Ben looked at him with questioning eyes.

***

“There we go, Ben...try to keep your wrist flexible, darling. There’s no need to hold on so tight...There, see? That’s better.” A loving smile on his face, Tom watched his son as Ben wrote ‘B e n’ into the white shaving foam on the baking tray, his tongue sticking out between his teeth in concentration.

Smoothing out the foam after, Tom let him write it again and again until Ben seemed happy with his result and looked up to his dad for confirmation.

“That is great, sweetheart! Now shall we give it a go on the paper again? See how that works out, hm?,” he suggested and Ben nodded eagerly. Together they pushed the tray aside and Ben picked up his bright blue pencil once more. Lovingly, Tom kissed him on the temple, quietly encouraging his little boy, who was always so desperate to be perfect; so much even that he failed to see that it was not perfection that mattered but perseverance and the eagerness to grow and learn.

 

A nervous flicker in his eyes, Ben pushed the paper towards Tom and looked up at him, eager for a positive reaction. The actor couldn’t help but smile as he saw the letters, still a little wobbly but a massive improvement from earlier that morning. 

“Ben, this is incredible, they are so much better now. I’m so proud of you, darling!,” he smiled, pulling the little boy onto his lap to hug and kiss him properly. “We’ll give them a go again later today and then we’ll do a few letters each day for the rest of the holidays and by the end of it you’ll be able to write the alphabet. How does that sound, eh?”

“That sounds good, Daddy,” Ben nodded, his cheeks a little flushed and his eyes gleaming with happiness and pride. “Thank you for helping me,” he added quietly and a little shyly but Tom slowly shook his head.

“That’s alright, sweetheart. I’m always here to help you. No matter what the problem is, you can come and talk to me and together we’ll try to make it better,” Tom promised, kissing his son onto the forehead once more.

“But for now, it’s time for a treat,” he winked, setting Ben onto his feet again ere he got up from his chair. “Last one on the trampoline is a rotten egg,” Tom grinned and ‘ran’ outside towards the trampoline.

 

Ben squealed behind him, shouting for him to stop while he laughed heartily and tried to catch up with his dad. Obviously, Tom took his time and just before he reached the trampoline, Ben overtook him, celebrating his win by jumping around on the bouncy surface.

“Daddy, you’re a rotten egg,” he laughed, loudly, his curls flying up and down around his head as he jumped while his father stood in front of the trampoline, pretending to pout.  
Still grinning, Ben stopped and walked towards him on wobbly legs. “But I still love you, Daddy, even though you’re a rotten egg,” he exclaimed, quite proudly, and hugged him tight before a wet, sloppy kiss landed straight on Tom’s lips.


	5. Dusty Crophopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> inspired by the film 'Planes'

“Hey Ben, you alright?” Briefly, Paula looked up from her recipe book as the little boy came padding into the kitchen to lean onto her leg, his face now buried in the soft, plaid blouse she was wearing. She could feel him nod against her waist and gently she ruffled through his curls.

 

Emmy was on a playdate at her best friend’s house that day and Tom was busy rehearsing for his next play at the Old Vic, leaving Paula and his son alone at the house.

 

Ben mumbled something against her clothes that she couldn't quite understand and leaving her recipe book, Paula turned towards him. “What's that, love?”

 

He peeled his face off her waist and repeated his question, “Can we do something together?”

 

“But of course we can. Would you like to help me with the cake now and then we can go and play?”

 

He turned his head up towards her, his grey eyes gleaming almost silver in the bright summer sun shining in through the skylight, and nodded with a beaming smile.

 

***

 

“Paula?” It sounded cautious as he said her name, emphasising the last letter while she placed the Blackforest Gateau carefully in the fridge.

 

“Yes, love?”

 

“Do we have some cardboard?” His hands now buried deep in the pockets of his trousers, Ben stood in the middle of the kitchen, swaying from one foot to the other.

 

“Cardboard? Um, we might. How much do you need?” She smiled, albeit a little confused at his seemingly random question, and wiped her hands on the bright yellow dish towel hanging by the door.

 

Ben contemplated that question for a moment until he finally said, “Well...two pieces a little longer than my arms and one a little longer than my back.”

 

Paula chuckled at his sheepish and somewhat shy smile and ruffled through his curls. “Are you going to tell me what you're up to or is that a secret?”

 

“I want to be a plane.” The way he said it, quietly and almost as if he was embarrassed, made her wonder for a moment whether she understood him correctly. Had he said he wants to _be_ one or _build_ one?

 

“A plane? Okay...come on then, let's see if we can find a cardboard box that you can turn into a plane.” Together they walked outside to the shed where she remembered having seen a few cardboard boxes and as she opened the small, wooden door the first big one already fell towards her.

 

“Would that do?”

 

Ben inspected the box that had formerly stored the new TV Tom had bought a few weeks ago. Focused and obviously with a very clear idea in mind, he tried to determine whether the box would suit his requirements and when he was finished, he nodded with a happy smile.

 

“Can you help me with it, Paula?,” the little boy asked as they walked back through the garden towards the house.

 

“Of course I can. Shall we sit outside? The weather is so lovely.”

 

Again, Ben agreed and while Paula prepared a little, healthy afternoon snack, Ben ran upstairs to get his new favourite book from which he had gotten the idea of being a plane and which was supposed to provide the template for his own set of wings

 

***

 

“Hi there, I'm back!” Leaving his shoes by the door, Tom walked to the back of the house where Paula was sitting on the patio, a coffee by her side and a book on her lap.

 

“Hello love, how was your day?,” he smiled before he breathed a kiss onto her lips and Paula beamed at him in return.

 

“Oh, mine was very nice. What about yours?,” she asked, placing her book aside while he took the seat next to her.

 

“Good, good. The rehearsal went better than I expected, actually. Is Emmy still at Poppy's?”

 

The blonde woman nodded in return before Ben attracted his attention. He was 'flying' through the garden, orange and white wings attached to his arms and an equally orange piece of cardboard strapped to his back. He made quiet buzzing sounds as he ran around with two small watering cans firmly in his hands.

 

“Hey there Ben. What are you up to, buddy?,” Tom called out, a slightly amused smile on his face.

 

“I'm not Ben, I'm Dusty! Dusty Crophopper,” the little boy shouted back, not faltering in his task to water all the plants and flowers and the bright, green patch of grass. When he finally thought he was finished, he 'flew' back to where Tom and Paula sat and dropped the watering cans only to climb onto his Daddy's lap, wet feet and cardboard wings included.

 

“Whoa, hello there Dusty. Have you been tending to our plants?”

 

A proud smile now adorned the little boy's face while he nodded vigorously. “Yes, I have. Do you want to go and have a look?”

 

Ben looked so eager and so enthusiastic that Tom could only nod and, taking off his socks, he followed his son further into the garden, the wet grass squelching underneath his feet.

 

“Wow, that's great. They all look really happy and healthy now, don't you think?” Again, Ben nodded and admired his work. Everywhere, small water drops glistened in the sun and the wet, green grass tickled his naked feet.

 

“Well, I'm not sure about you, Paula, but I think Ben deserves a treat for being so very helpful,” Tom smiled as they slowly walked back towards the patio, Ben 'flying' around him in circles.

 

“I absolutely agree,” she winked and it didn't take long before Dusty Crophopper was happily devouring a sweet and cooling pot of chocolate ice cream, exhausted and tired after a long day working on the field.


	6. Peko and Polka

“Come on darling, we need to catch a train.” Patiently, Paula waited for Ben to catch up with them as they walked through the big lobby of London’s Euston Station. He was carrying his little penguin backpack that matched the little suitcase Paula was pulling for him but tired as he was, his steps became slower and slower with every passing moment.

“I’m tired,” he mumbled, accepting the hand she had offered him as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes with his other one, careful so as not to drop Bouncy.

“I know, Ben, but we can go to bed as soon as we’re on the train. Look, it’s already waiting for us and we can go right in,” she smiled lovingly and together they caught up with Tom and Emmy and stepped on the train soon after.

 

Their cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper, which would bring them to Inverness over night, was small but the beds looked comfortable enough. Without saying much, they all got ready for bed and while Tom shared the top bunk with Emmy, Paula shared the bottom one with Ben.

“Daddy? Who will make sure that we don’t oversleep and drive back to London tomorrow morning?,” Emmy whispered as she snuggled up to her father who wrapped his arms around his little girl protectively.

“I’ve set an alarm clock so we will wake up early enough,” Tom smiled and wiped a strand of hair out of her face.

Emiliana nodded understandingly and turned around in his embrace, her back now pressed flushed against his chest as she used his hand as the pillow for her head.

Once more, Tom let his eyes wander over the little, precious girl in his arms and he pressed a tender kiss onto her hair.

“Sleep well, my darling,” he whispered into the silence and for a little while he simply listened to the regular breathing coming from below them and from his sleeping daughter by his side.

***

“Paula, can you help me with my scarf?” Holding up his bright blue scarf, Ben came running towards her. The wind was blowing loudly outside while they were warm and protected inside the cabin on the ship. They all felt surprisingly rested after the night trip on the train and the short trip with the ferry was now the only thing that separated them from their two-week Easter holiday on the Isle of Skye.

“What are you up to, eh?,” the blonde woman grinned and wrapped the scarf around his neck before she tucked the ends inside his jacket.

Ben grinned sheepishly and wrapped his arms around her when she was finished. “I want to go outside and look at the ocean. Can you come with me? Pleeeaaasseee!”

“We have to be careful, though, that we don’t fly away,” Paula winked and grabbed her jacket from the chair next to Tom, who was looking at a book with Emmy.

“Where are you going?,” the little girl looked up, distracted from “Sleeping Beauty” by the commotion next to them.

“We are going outside to look at the ocean. Are you coming, too?” Excitedly, Ben jumped up and down, his rich, brown curls flying up and down on his head.

“I think we are,” Tom mumbled with a grin after Emmy had jumped up too and was now busy putting on her jacket and scarf herself.

 

The ocean around them was troubled and looked somewhat threatening with its dark blue colour. Each time the ferry broke through another wave, the ship was shaken and Ben and Emmy squealed with delight. Paula and Tom knew that the waves weren’t even that high and that at no point was their safety compromised as they stood on deck of the ferry. For the children, though, it was like being on a pirate ship in the middle of the wild, stormy sea and they loved every second of it as they held on tightly to the railing and to each other.

***

“There we go…one lunchbox for you…and one lunchbox for you.” With proud smiles on their little faces, Emmy and Ben grabbed one each and stored it in their little penguin and ladybird rucksacks together with a bottle of water and their explorer kits. It was Easter Sunday and given that the weather was brilliant with a clear blue sky and the sun shining brightly down on them, they had decided to go for a hike.

What both children didn’t know was that Tom had been talking to the landlords of the cottage they had rented and along the way they’d be walking the occasional Easter surprise would be waiting for the twins.

 

“With a bit of luck they’ll be shattered tonight,” Tom mumbled into Paula’s ear with a grin as they walked along the path, Emmy and Ben running ahead making up adventure stories as they took in the beautiful landscape around them.

“And what then?,” the blonde woman whispered in response, a cheeky grin on her luscious lips.

“Oh I don’t know. We could play a board game and enjoy some peace and quiet,” he chuckled, gently pinching her side and making her squeal.

"That sounds fabulous,” Paula laughed before she stopped him. Her eyes locked with his, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Butterflies were still racing through her stomach every time she looked at him and when his lips met hers she felt like she would burst with happiness.

“Eww, stop that!,” Emmy laughed loudly, running around their legs with Ben following close behind.

Tom grinned against Paula’s lips before he looked at his children. “Is that jealousy I detect in your voice?,” he grinned at Emmy and before the little girl could respond, he had grabbed her and was now smothering her face with kisses much to her dismay and much to Ben’s and Paula’s amusement.

***

Shielding her eyes from the sun, Paula sat down on the blanket they had brought and unpacked their lunch while Tom and the twins were wandering around searching for more Easter surprises.

 

“Paula, look!! Look what we found!,” Ben shouted and came running towards her, almost tripping out of excitement before he kneeled down on the blanket next to her, spreading out his loot.

“Oh wow, that’s amazing, Ben! Well done, darling.”

He beamed with pride at her praise, his cheeks flushed and his eyes gleaming with happiness. Emmy and Tom followed soon after and carefully the children stowed their treasures away in their little rucksacks.

“I found something, too,” Tom winked and held up a bright red Easter egg.

“Congratulations,” his girlfriend grinned and rewarded him with a quick but loving kiss before they finally dug into their lunch to recharge their batteries.

***

“Come on, time for bed, sweetheart.”

Emmy looked at her father with tired eyes, yawning heartily as he picked her up from the sofa. Next to them, Paula did the same with Ben, who was already asleep after this long day they had spent hiking around the Isle of Skye. Their Easter Hunt treasures were sitting proudly on top of the chest of drawers in their shared bedroom and would soon be joined by more presents when the twins celebrated their 7th birthday in a couple of days.

“Sleep well, my love,” he breathed against his daughter’s forehead, kissing her gently as he tucked her into bed.

“Good night, Daddy,” Emiliana whispered, her eyes already closed. She and her brother had both been running around all day long, climbing up and down the hills, looking for treasures behind each tree while they carried their rucksacks Peko and Polka all the time.

Breathing a kiss onto Ben’s cheek as well, Paula and Tom watched them sleep for a few minutes longer before they quietly left the bedroom. Another, a new adventure, would be awaiting them on the next day and while the children charged their batteries, the adults had every intent to drain theirs a little more.


	7. Neglected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's reaction to having baby siblings in the house now; inspired by a prompt

 

"Daddy? Can we go to the playground with you? We’ve done our homework already and it’s so nice outside." Leaning onto the sofa, Benjamin looked at his father who was busy feeding little Max. Tom’s eyes were fixed on the little boy in his arms. who was hungrily drinking from the bottle, and he didn’t look up when he answered his oldest son.

"Let me finish feeding Max and Sophie and then we’ll see if there’s still enough time to go before we have dinner, Ben. I’ll come to you when I’m finished, okay?" He was so focused on the little baby, on his bright blue eyes and blond, fluffy hair that he didn’t see the look of disappointment on Ben’s face. He missed the half-hearted nod and the longing look at his father’s head, willing him to avert his eyes from his little brother at least once.

 

It had been a few months now since Max and Sophie had become a part of the family and even though, at the beginning, Ben and Emmy were excited about their little siblings, they soon realised that newborn babies meant less attention for the older ones. They still had each other, of course, and Paula still tried her very best to share her time equally between both sets of twins but it was Tom in particular who they spent less and less time with.

Disappointed, Ben left the living room to walk back upstairs. Just as he reached the landing in front of his room, he kicked his cricket set in frustration, causing it to tumble down the stairs, accompanied by a lot of clattering and rattling. He wasn’t one to cause trouble normally but maybe this would finally cause his Dad to look at him again even if it was only to yell.

 

He waited upstairs with bated breath but the ground floor remained silent much to his disappointment. Ben could feel Emmy’s eyes on him but he didn’t return her stare and instead walked into his room, closing the door behind him with much more force than necessary. With a loud bang, the wooden door fell shut but he didn’t care. Both Max and Sophie were awake so there was no one to be silent for, no one to wake up. And even if, he didn’t care. They didn’t let him sleep in the night so why should he do so during the day.

Angry at his little siblings but even more angry at his father, Ben fell onto his big, comfy bed, burying his face, his screams, his tears in his pillow. He didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs, the quiet knock on the door, not even the almost whispered question of “May I come in?” His frustration and anger had made him deaf to the world wherefore he was startled when, seemingly out of nowhere, a large, familiar hand stroked along his back.

Quickly, he turned around and away from his father, away from his worried eyes and frowning face, and just out of reach of his gentle, soothing hand.

Worried and somewhat hurt, Tom looked at his son before he took a step back and instead sat down at the other end of the bed. “Ben, what’s wrong? What did I do to make you so upset, buddy?”

 

Moments of silence followed during which Ben preferred staring at the toothpaste stain on his trousers rather than meet the older one’s eye. He didn’t want to cry in front of his dad. He was a big boy now, a big brother. Big brothers don’t cry.

"You never have time for us anymore," he finally managed to choke out. "Everything is about Max and Sophie and we don’t matter any longer. It’s always Max this and Sophie that….it used to be Emmy this and Ben that. But you don’t even have time to go to the playground any more or listen to my piano practise or check our homework." A single tear rolled down Ben’s cheek and, quickly, he wiped it away, hoping his father hadn’t seen it. There was so much more he wanted to say but he was afraid his voice would fail and his anger would betray him so he stopped and bit his tongue.

 

A sad expression on his gorgeous face, Tom looked at the young boy, knowing full well that the accusations were true. He had spent more time with Max and Sophie recently than with Emmy and Ben. Amidst all the hustle and bustle around the newborn twins he had expected his older children to be more grown-up than they actually were. Looking back now, he was aware that Emmy remained quiet most of the time something bothered her anyway and if it weren’t for Ben’s outburst now, he might not have known about their feelings for days or weeks longer.

Thinking about the right words to say, Tom gazed at his hands before he finally looked back up. “I’m so sorry, Benjamin. I never intended to neglect you and your sister. I love you both so very much and…I guess I simply expected you to be okay with it but of course you aren’t and you shouldn’t have to be.” He paused for a moment, waiting for any kind of reaction from Ben. The 10-year-old still didn’t look up, though, and desperation started to rise up within Tom.

 

Carefully, he moved closer to his son, hoping he wouldn’t shy back again from his father’s advances. “Ben, I promise you I will spend more time with you and Emmy again. And we’ll start right now with a trip to the playground, how does that sound, hm? And I’ll check with your Mum if she could stay home alone with Max and Sophie one evening, maybe Friday, and then you and your sister and me, we could go to the cinema together. Would you like that?”

Hope glimmered within the actor’s eyes and when Ben finally looked up, he even managed a smile. His children, both old and young, meant everything to him and he never wanted anyone to feel less loved or wanted.

Ben’s grey eyes met with his father’s blue ones and after a moment of contemplation, he nodded. He didn’t like being mad at his dad and sometimes he was mad for the wrong reasons but this time it had been right, it had been important. But hopefully the matter was settled now and things could go back to how they were.

 

"Can I get a hug?," Tom asked with a hopeful smile, opening his arms. Quickly, Ben scrambled over the bed to where he sat and, sitting on his lap, he hugged his father tight.

"I love you Ben!"

"I love you, too, Daddy!"


	8. Just the three of us

 

“Hello there!” With a big smile on his face, Tom walked across the schoolyard to greet his older twins who both looked rather exhausted after a busy week at school. Their faces lit up, though, when they saw their father waiting for them instead of their mum as it was normally the case. Especially Ben couldn’t help but smile now that his dad seemed to have taken his words and worries seriously and proved that his promise to spend more time with them was not just an empty phrase.

“How was your day?,” Tom asked, briefly ruffling his son’s curls before he placed an arm around him and Emmy while they walked off towards their car. “Not bad. We rehearsed for the end-of-year play today and I didn’t once forget my lines,” the 10-year-old replied somewhat proudly while his sister still wrestled with the straps of her rucksack.

“Come here, let me take that, sweetheart,” her father mumbled lovingly and took the heavy bag from her back before doing the same with Ben’s. The young girl smiled thankfully. “Thanks, Dad! How come you pick us up today and not Mum?,” she wondered, hoping that she didn’t sound ungrateful for him being there instead of Paula.

 

Tom hesitated for a moment and waited until they had left the confines of the school before speaking again. “You know, Emmy, I was made aware by Ben that I’ve not been the best dad for you recently. I’ve neglected you both and I am very sorry about that. Max and Sophie take up a lot of time still because they’re so small and need mine and Paula’s help all the time but that shouldn’t be an excuse for me not looking after you too.”

Tom unlocked the car doors and waited until they had all climbed inside before he continued with a promising smile on his face. “So the rest of the day will be just for you and me. Once we get home, we just drop of your school bags and you go and get changed quickly. Make sure you wear something nice but comfortable and bring a jumper or a jacket because we’ll be staying out a little later today and it might get chilly.”

He winked at them in the rear view mirror and the twins looked at each other with surprised and excited faces. The short journey home they never stopped guessing about what their father could have planned for them while Tom in the front chuckled quietly at some of their suggestions.

***

“Daaad, where are we going?,” Ben asked laughing for the seventh time but Tom merely grinned at his son. “I am not going to tell you so you can stop asking me,” he chuckled, ruffling his son’s curls while the cab driver smiled at them briefly in the rear view mirror. The city flew past them outside and while Tom and Ben were playing around, Emmy made use of the drive to watch the people and houses and places they passed.

She loved watching the city and its inhabitants. Each borough was different, each high street had its own collection of shops and people, and she sometimes wondered about them. Yet unknown to Tom and Paula, she was always busy writing her own little stories at home, stories about people she had seen but didn’t know and about places she had been to.

After a while the names on the street signs became more familiar and when eventually Greenwich Park was advertised, she turned to her father with gleaming eyes. “Are we going to Greenwich Park, Daddy?,” she asked, watching him hopefully. Tom merely shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. Maybe not,” was his unsatisfactory reply and Emiliana pouted for a moment.

 

Eventually, the cab came to a halt and, having paid the fare, Tom jumped out with his twins in tow. “Alright, first of all, we need food. Do you feel more like going to the Market and grabbing stuff for a picnic or do you want to go someplace nice and eat there?,” he asked with a smile and without needing to look at each other both Ben and Emmy replied “The Market” in an instant.

Laughing and holding hands, they set off to the sheltered market whose rich and mouthwatering smells promised an array of food to choose from. Not long after and loaded with shawarmas, burgers and wraps, they set off towards Greenwich Park where they found a sheltered spot beside a tree, which gave them a good view of the glistening skyscrapers of Canary Wharf across the river.

The twins couldn’t help but smile while they sat beside their father, finally, after a few long weeks, able to enjoy his undivided attention. They talked about their school and his work, about the upcoming half-term holidays and things they had tried to teach Jasper. Not once did they speak of Max and Sophie, not once did Tom glance at his watch, counting down the time until they could go home again.

 

“Thank you, Daddy,” Benjamin mumbled after a while, looking at his father earnestly. “You don’t have to thank me for spending time with you, love,” Tom mumbled, a little embarrassed. “It is my absolute pleasure to be here with you and I love you both so much and I don’t want to live another day without telling you that. I know that I’m bad at showing it sometimes and then I get lost in other things. Please don’t hesitate to tell me off if I do it again. I’m not perfect. I’m far from it actually. So...excuse my French but sometimes I just need a kick in my bum. And I hereby grant you the permission to give me that kick if I fall back into old patterns, okay?”

The twins grinned and nodded although the sincerity behind his words wasn’t lost on them either. Carefully avoiding the empty wrappers of their takeaway food, they crawled over to where he sat and hugged him, simultaneously, with no obvious intent of letting him go again anytime soon. Tom closed his eyes and hugged them back, relieved at having their forgiveness and, most importantly, their love.

 

He pressed a kiss onto their cheeks after they’ve released him and with a wink he proclaimed their plans for the remainder of the day and evening. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the next scheduled point will be the Royal Observatory before a boat will bring us all the way from Greenwich to the London Eye tonight where we will end the day with a trip on said attraction.” From the cheers and excitement of the twins onlookers might have thought he’d just told them they’d won the lottery. But then again, in their own way, they had.


	9. Oliver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emmy&Ben quite a few years later, at the age of 15; prompt: the twins in the headmistress's office

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentioning of/hinting at assault/violence

"Excuse me, Mr Higgins, may I take Emiliana with me for a moment, please?"

Her head shot round immediately as she heard her name coming from Miss Clarksons lips knowing that it wasn’t a good reason she was asked to leave her classroom. Miss Clarkson only ever came in the middle of class when the headmistress demanded a student to come to her office.

"Of course, Miss Clarkson," Mr Higgins, a young and a little nervous teacher who was filling in for Mrs Watson, who was on maternity leave, nodded as he fiddled with the pages on the mating rites of birds he was about to hand out to his not too eager class of 15-year-olds.

Straightening her shirt, the young girl got up from her chair and quietly left the classroom, closing the button of her navy blue blazer as she followed the headmistress’s secretary down the long, sunshine-filled corridor. Her palms were slightly sweaty but she resisted the urge to wipe them on her skirt and instead intertwined her fingers behind her back.

With slender fingers, Miss Clarkson knocked on the grand wooden door and a stern but quiet “Come in” from Mrs McHollister followed suit.

When Emiliana entered the room she wasn’t surprised to see her twin brother already sitting in one of the big chairs in front of the huge, mahogany desk. Next to him was one of his classmates; Oliver Pensieve.

"Ah, Miss Hiddleston. Please take a seat next to your brother," the headmistress greeted her with a faint but friendly smile and Emiliana did as she was told without meeting her brother’s eye.

"Miss Hiddleston, I am sure you know Mr Pensieve." It was more of a statement than a question and Emiliana nodded as she looked at him briefly. He had a cut on his lip and the skin underneath his left eye looked swollen and slightly bruised.

The headmistress nodded in return, acknowledging the young girl’s silent reply, before she asked both boys to wait outside her office door.

Ben’s hand brushed swiftly along Emmy’s and she swallowed for a moment. Her brother was no troublemaker, she knew that, but without having it confirmed she also knew where Oliver’s injuries had come from.

The quiet click of the lock behind her disrupted the silence between the two women and for a moment the headmistress simply looked at her. Was it pity in her eyes? Was it worry?

"Miss Hiddleston, Emiliana,…I must ask you a question, and please be honest with me: Has Mr Pensieve ever approached you in any indecent way? Has there ever been a moment when he touched you without your consent or has he ever assaulted you, whether that is during your time at school or on your way to or from home?" Mrs McHollister’s voice was low and laced with worry as she asked her and Emiliana did not dare to meet her eyes. Her own, grey ones would have betrayed her immediately but she wasn’t yet sure how much she wanted to share with the older woman. A curt nod, however, seemed to suffice and Emmy could hear the scribbling of her Fountain pen on a piece of paper.

"You might have noticed Mr Pensieve’s injuries, Miss Hiddleston. Obviously your brother deemed it necessary to defend you, which is very gallant though maybe a little unwise of him. I will have to give him detention, I am afraid, but more importantly, it is my duty to inform Mr Pensieve’s and your own parents about the incident. Therefore,…if there is anything you want to tell me before I do so, please do not hesitate, Miss Hiddleston. This is nothing, nothing at all, to be ashamed off."

WIth tears welling up in her eyes, Emiliana lifted her head and looked at the headmistress. With shaking hands, she took a deep breath before she told her what had happened that previous Wednesday after class.


	10. After school

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sequel to 'Oliver'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: references to assault/violence

With drooping heads and their arms crossed in front of their chests, Emiliana and Benjamin left the school building that afternoon. Ben’s detention had been scheduled for later that week although he didn’t mind spending those extra few hours at school.

It had been worth it; worth seeing that stupid Oliver’s face, his surprised expression just before Ben’s fist had met with his lip.

Nobody messed with his sister! Nobody touched her against her will!

 

He groaned quietly as Emmy stopped all of a sudden and he ran straight into her, though catching his balance at the very last minute before he threatened to fall over and right onto his backside.

 

“What the he-” The sight of the very familiar, black Audi Q7 right outside the school gates made him shut up and he swallowed quickly as the driver’s door was opened and his mother - he refused to call her step-mother - stepped out of the car.

 

Paula, now in her early thirties and mother of two, still looked gorgeous and younger than she actually was but Ben knew what a mistake it was to believe her too sweet and gentle to be strict. It was her lips that betrayed her; pressed into a thin line to prevent her either from shouting or crying.

Right now, it was probably both.

Her gaze flickered over to them shortly, before it fell on something, or rather someone, behind them and as she slammed the door just that little bit too hard, he knew exactly who it was.

 

The scrunching of gravel underneath black, plain trainers behind them had stopped all of a sudden and the twins didn’t need to turn around to know that Oliver Pensieve had been walking right behind them.

 

They both startled a bit, though, as the headmistress’s voice cut through the tense silence hanging in the air, greeting the blonde woman who was still standing beside the big car, obviously trying to suppress the anger bubbling up inside her.

 

“Mrs Hiddleston, thank you so much for coming at such short notice. I hope I didn’t cause any inconveniences for you.”

 

Paula’s smile was equally friendly and angry, though not because of the older woman, as she returned Mrs McHollister’s greeting. “Not at all, Mrs McHollister. I fully appreciate you calling me concerning this incredibly upsetting and unbelievably shocking subject matter. I am afraid my husband won’t be able to join us today, though, as he is still working. He will, however, be available for the next meeting with you and Mr and Mrs Pensieve.”

 

Despite the gravity of the situation, Emiliana couldn’t hide the small smile playing around her lips as Oliver seemed to shrink behind them, now fully aware of the consequences his behaviour would have. Maybe he had thought her to remain silent. Maybe he had thought Benjamin to be too cowardly to stand up for his sister.

 

Oh how wrong he had been. Benjamin, the shy little 5-year-old who had wet his bed and missed his mum, had long grown into a tall teenage boy who knew full well to distinguish between right and wrong, and who did no longer need to be protected by his older, though smaller, sister.

 

Punching his classmate had, of course, not been the right way to deal with the situation. But he couldn’t help it. When it came to Emmy, to Paula, to Sophie and Max, even to his Dad, Benjamin felt protective and he had felt that the only way to wipe that smug, arrogant face off Oliver Pensieve’s face was a neat right hook.

 

Quietly, he and Emmy stepped closer to the car while Paula and the headmistress exchanged a few more words regarding further proceedings. Oliver still remained rooted to the spot and it was only when his parents’ car pulled up behind theirs that he dared move again.

 

He was greeted with silence by his parents and with looks so full of disappointment and anger that for a moment Ben almost felt sorry for him. But then he remembered what he had done to his sister and that little bit of pity was once again replaced by anger. It was only Emmy’s smaller hand squeezing his which kept him from punching that asshole again.

 

Mrs Pensieve was a petite little woman who knew how to dress and hold herself to apply just that extra bit of authority which made one forget about her below-average height. With a firm handshake she greeted both Mrs McHollister and Paula before her steps guided her over to the waiting twins.

 

“Emiliana, I am so very sorry. I know that an apology cannot make it undone but please be assured that Oliver will receive his rightful punishment. I did not raise my son to behave like this and it shames me that he treated you so very badly. If there is ever anything we can do for you, please let us know.” Her eyes, a deep, rich brown, were full of sadness, embarrassment and sincerity, and both Emmy and Ben knew that she meant what she said.

 

“Just make sure he never does it again or at least make sure he knows what he has done so he can learn from this and not repeat that same mistake in the future,” the young girl replied, her hand still wrapped around that of her brother. Mrs Pensieve nodded and turned back around while her husband had already ensured that Oliver was out of sight; at least for the moment.

 

The ride home was quiet and a little unnerving. Ben wasn’t sure if he was about to receive a scolding for using violence while Emmy feared she might have remained quiet for too long, which would now cause her mother to be angry with her.

 

Paula’s hands, meanwhile, were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel as she drove the few minutes to the white, big house just off Wandsworth Common, which they now lived in. The big, metal gate in front of it opened quietly at the push of a button and only moments later the car came to a halt in their driveway.

 

It was only when she got out of the car and rummaged around her bag for the keys to the front door that Ben realised Paula’s hands were shaking and tears were running down her face.

 

“We can use my key, Mum,” he whispered, carefully taking his mother’s hand in his to stop her from fidgeting while Emmy got out of the car on the other side, unaware of her mother’s agitation. Paula nodded, quickly wiping the tears away, before she followed her children towards the house.

 

“Where are Sophie and Max?,” Emmy asked as they entered a quiet hallway with only Jasper as their welcoming committee.

 

“I managed to organise a last minute playdate for them so they won’t be home until dinner. And by then I want to have a few things discussed,” Paula replied, quietly, and the young teenager nodded.

 

Blazers and school bags were quickly packed away until they all sat around the large, inviting dining table, a steaming mug of tea placed in front of each of them.

 

“I’m sure your father will have a few words to say about this when he comes home tonight but…Benjamin, I am sure you know that violence is never the right solution to a problem. I know what it’s like to be angry, what it’s like to have this urge to just have a go at someone but you are such a clever boy. Next time be the wiser one and walk away. Instead, talk to somebody about it and ask for help to sort it out.”

 

Ben nodded, wondering whether any other punishment would await him, except for the detention he had received from school, although, for now, Paula seemed to be content with ‘only’ telling him off.

 

Emiliana next to him dropped her gaze, knowing that it was her turn now.

 

“Emmy, darling…,” An almost inaudible sob left Paula’s mouth as she took the young girls hand in her own. “I’m not sure why you remained silent about this until today, although I do believe I have an idea, but please…please, promise me that you will come to me or your Dad and talk to us about it if that should ever happen to you again. There is nothing shameful about defending yourself against this kind of behaviour and one should never let them get away with it. No one, no man, no woman, is EVER allowed to touch you against your will. Your body belongs to yourself and to no one else. Whether that is a teacher, a fellow student, a colleague at work or a stranger in a park…,” she swallowed quickly before continuing, “no one is ever allowed to do something to your body that you haven’t given your consent to. Please remember that, my darling. I hate to see you hurt, both of you. But together with Mrs McHollister and Oliver’s parents we will make sure that he will remember not to do this ever again, I promise.”

 

Quickly, Emmy wiped a tear away from her face before she pushed her chair back, stood up and pulled her mum into a tight embrace. It felt good to have talked about it, although she wasn’t sure how much the headmistress had told Paula. Nevertheless, it was out and she had no longer a reason to feel ashamed.

 

Quietly, Ben got up himself and wrapped his arms around the two hugging women, pressing a gentle kiss onto both their hair.

 

It wasn’t until quite a while later that he fully came to understand his mother’s tears which she had shed while standing in their driveway, looking for her keys that had been in her hand all along.


	11. Daddy's Little Girl

 

“Where is she?”

Even before he had fully entered the house, Tom was already inquiring after his daughter.

“She’s in the living room with Ben, Max and Sophie,” Paula replied quietly before falling into his arms. She literally clung to her husband who held her gently even though deep down he was far from being calm and collected.

All afternoon he had endured rehearsals while his thoughts were not on the play but his children, his oldest daughter in particular. How dare this boy touch his little girl? What society did they live in that taught teenage boys to act like this while making teenage girls too ashamed to defend themselves?

 

“Are you okay?,” he whispered against Paula’s hair while he continued to hold her close. She nodded slowly. “Is she okay?” Again, she nodded albeit a bit more hesitantly this time.

After a few moments, Paula extricated herself from her husband’s embrace and they looked at each other. She seemed a little older in the evening light and the faint lines around her eyes seemed a bit more prominent than earlier that day.

“What about Ben? Will he be in anymore trouble?”

Fiddling with his fingers in hers, Paula shook her head. “No, not really. He’ll get detention but that’s it. We’ll have to meet with Mrs McHollister again, though, and Oliver’s parents will be present as well to discuss the measures that are about to be taken. I hope he has to leave the school.”

He could hear the anger flare up in her voice and Tom pressed a tender kiss onto her forehead. They’d go through this together he was sure of that. But the journey wouldn’t be easy.

***

“Hey there.” A faint smile on his lips, Tom entered the living room where his children were cuddled up on the sofa watching Finding Neverland. Immediately, Max and Sophie jumped up and ran towards him, each hoping to be the first one to be picked up for a kiss and cuddle.

“Hello you little monkeys,” the 47-year-old grinned and picked them both up at the same time much to the delight of the twins who immediately smothered him with kisses and told them all about their day at school. He listened intently, commenting here and there although no comments were needed as both Max and Sophie were happy just to talk about it all, preferably at the very same time.

“I’m glad you had fun. Now go and continue watching your film, I’ll join you in a bit.” Gently he put them down again, getting a glimpse of Paula’s loving smile in the process as she watched him interact with their youngest children. Quickly, he blew her a kiss which made her blush before she focused on getting dinner ready once more.

Tom’s attention, meanwhile, was on the older ones.

 

“Ben...could I have a word?” Looking up at him with his grey eyes almost hidden by the mob of brown curls, the teenager nodded and hesitantly followed his father into the drawing room.

***

“What the hell, Benjamin?? Who taught you that punching someone is the right way to go about things? Who taught you that violence is the solution to your problems? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you defending your sister but if I ever hear about you hitting someone again, you will be in serious trouble, do you understand me?” Glaring at the teenage boy, Tom stood by the door, his hands resting on his hips. Ben only nodded, surprised about his father’s sudden outburst, did he rarely get loud anyway.

“Sure. Sorry Dad,” he mumbled, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “But this guy, he...he hurt Emmy! So I wanted to hurt him.”

Tom softened a little as he saw his oldest son so upset about his sister having been hurt. “I know, Ben. Believe me, I would love to drive over to his place and do the same to him but that’s not how we do things. We are better than him. We use words, not fists to solve our problems, okay?”

Once more the teenager nodded. "I just hope he will be punished," Ben added quietly and again his father didn't disagree.

“Ben… Did you make it a good hit, at least?” Tom didn’t meet his son’s eyes as he asked the question.

Ben’s smile went unseen, but his answer resonated nonetheless, “I put my weight behind it.”

“Never again, Benjamin. But thank you.” The teenage boy, the so quickly maturing teenage boy, left the drawing room to join his siblings on the couch once again. He smiled at his twin and gave her a nod, assuring her that all was well. She nervously fidgeted on the couch, dreading the confrontation with her father.

“Emmy, darling,” Tom called his daughter into the adjoining room.

Nervously fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, Emiliana padded down the hall and into the room where her father was awaiting her, his eyes so full of sorrow and guilt. Every now and then she could see anger flickering up behind them but she hoped it wasn’t directed at her.

“Daddy, I’m so-” She wasn’t able to finish her apology as he had already pulled her in for an embrace, his strong arms wrapped around her like a blanket, like a shield against the outside world. Before she knew it, Emiliana buried her face in his shirt, sobbing uncontrollably. It broke his heart all the way down to the core.

She was his baby girl, his everything, and he had failed to protect her although he knew it wasn’t in his power to shield her from all the bad things in this world. But why this? Why her?

They stood like this for a while, father and daughter, embracing and crying and comforting each other. It was Emiliana who broke apart first, wiping away the salty drops from her flushed cheeks. Only slowly did she look up into her father’s crystal blue eyes. The anger had gone and only small traces of sorrow and guilt remained.

“I love you, Daddy. And I’m sorry. I promise I will talk to you immediately if anything like this ever happens again,” she whispered, her fingers, some adorned with thin silver rings like her mother used to wear, still buried in the soft fabric of his shirt.

“I love you, too, Emmy. I hurts me so much to know that this has happened to you and I…,” Tom swallowed, briefly, looking for the right words in the labyrinth of his mind, which seemed to consist of overgrown paths only at that moment. “I hope you know that this is not your fault. In no way are you to blame, my dear, okay? It’s that…” Only barely could he contain himself from using a swear word in front of his daughter. “...that boy who did something wrong, something very wrong! And I will see to it that he is punished for it and so will your mother. We love you and we always will. And please, please, come and talk to us if anybody does you wrong.”

His blue eyes seemed to stare right into her soul and Emiliana nodded, a little ashamed because she didn’t trust her parents enough before to tell them about the incident. She should have known they would understand. She should have known they would come to her defense. But instead it had been Benjamin, formerly quiet, shy, little Benjamin, who had proved himself to be her twin in heart, in mind, in body, and who had come to her rescue in a way.

Emiliana was grateful for him, for her parents, for the love and protection they showed towards her. And whatever Oliver had tried to achieve, he had failed. Big time.


	12. Head Girl

 

“Dad, hey! Are you on your way home yet? I am so excited, I was barely able to eat dinner. I have no idea how I’m going to sleep tonight but anyway...when will you get here?” Almost tripping over her own words, Emiliana answered the phone as soon as she had seen her Dad’s number pop up on the screen. It was his quiet sigh, the brief moment of hesitation, though, that told her something was wrong.

“Emmy, darling...I am so sorry. I won’t be able to make it,” he mumbled, his sadness and disappointment about it clearly audible in his voice.

“No...no, Daddy. You promised! You promised you’d be there...for me! You have to come!,” Emiliana choked, tears of anger and frustration welling up in her eyes and spilling over the edges. Roughly, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

“I know, sweetheart. I know I did and it breaks my heart not to be there for you but I can’t just leave everything here. I’m under contract.” Even to himself, these reasons sounded weak and pathetic but they were the truth. Closing his eyes, Tom leaned his forehead against the cold window of his hotel room.

“So much about being a father first and an actor second,” she replied, angrily, before hanging up without another word. More tears ran down her cheeks as she sank down onto the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees and ignoring the seemingly neverending attempts of her father to call her again. Eventually, she turned her phone off altogether.

***

“Emmy? May I come in?” Quietly, Paula knocked onto her daughter’s bedroom door awaiting a response. A few moments passed until the door was unlocked from the inside and Emiliana’s red-rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks came into view.

“What happened?,” Paula whispered, worried and blaming herself for not having gone up earlier. Until Ben had told her that something was wrong with Emmy, though, she had thought she was already sleeping to be fit for the next day.

“He won’t be there. He promised but still he won’t come. He only cares about his bloody job. I don’t matter at all,” the teenager sobbed before she buried her face in her mother’s shirt. Paula held her, soothingly stroking over her hair and breathing a kiss onto her temple. For a while they remained like this, standing in the doorway of Emiliana’s bedroom, until Paula led her to her bed, taking the seat next to her daughter.

 

“I am so sorry, Emmy. I know how important this is for you. You have every right to be disappointed. But...never think that you don’t matter to your father. He loves you so very much. And if he could think of any way that he could make it tomorrow, he would. But obviously there isn’t. He is involved in a lot of projects and each and every one of them is connected to a lot of money. Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart, I am not saying that money is more important than family, not in the slightest, but your father has signed contracts and according to these, he has to fulfil certain duties. If he doesn’t, it could mean a lot of problems for him and his career and also for us and he doesn’t want that. He wants you all to be happy and to be save in all kinds of ways and that’s why he’s doing what he’s doing,” she tried to explain, quietly, hoping Emmy would understand although she also understood her anger about her father’s absence on such an important day.

“But why does he make a promise when he already knows he won’t be able to fulfil it?,” Emiliana breathed, clinging to her mother.

“I think he hoped that he would be able to fulfil it. Sometimes schedules are changed, though, and it is not within his power to reverse these changes.”

“Maybe he should change jobs then,” the teenager grumbled, though a little less angry than before. At least her mother was still there for her.

“Believe me, you’re not the only one with that opinion,” Paula sighed, breathing a kiss onto the crown of her head.

***

“Could you two please stop growing up so fast,” Paula smiled, though with a little tear of pride twinkling in her eye, when Ben and Emmy walked into the kitchen the next day, both dressed in their school uniform, looking incredibly dapper and grown-up. The twins chuckled and kissed her on the cheek.

“Sorry, Mum, but no...and besides, you have made sure there’s always a little one around that you can tidy up after,” Ben winked, when Max and Sophie came running into the room as well.

Paula blushed a little and breathed a shy kiss onto the head of the newest addition to the family who was sleeping peacefully in her arms.

“Are we ready to go? I don’t want to be late,” Emiliana mumbled, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her blazer.

“Yes, if you could grab the diaper bag over by the door, Ben, and you could help Max and Sophie into the car, Emmy, then we are ready to go,” Paula nodded, once more scanning the room, looking for her phone.

***

“Mum? We need to go inside soon. It starts in 15 minutes,” Emmy mumbled as she walked towards her mother who was slowly strolling up and down the corridor, trying to calm her crying newborn.

“Just one second, love,” Paula nodded and handed her the phone without another word. She had been facetiming with Tom and his sad eyes lit up for a second when he saw his daughter now.

“Emmy! I’ve been trying to reach you! I...I just wanted to say that I love you and that I am so proud of you, my dear. And I am sorry for the pain I have caused.”

Emiliana nodded but wasn’t sure what to reply. She watched him, watched his hopeful face while he seemed to be walking around, holding the phone in front of him and making the image shaky. The screen got darker all of a sudden as if he was walking into a building and the teenager frowned. She knew that hallway. She knew it very, very well.

Suddenly it dawned on her and shoving the phone back into her mother’s hand, she raced down the steps towards the main entrance of her school. Looking back at it, it was probably the cheesiest moment ever when she ran down the final corridor and into her father’s arms, who hugged her and kissed her and crumpled her school uniform, but Emiliana didn’t care. She didn’t care about her smudged mascara or her crumpled clothes. She only cared about him being there, about her father fulfilling his promise after all.

All that mattered was her entire family sitting in the audience at Emanuel School when she was announced Head of School, one of the youngest this prestigious institution had ever seen. All that mattered were the tears of pride twinkling in her father’s eyes and the love that emanated from his shimmering blue orbs. All that mattered was his love; for her, for them.


End file.
